Fairytale Romances
by Shaun Garin
Summary: Some things blossom over time. Sometimes it builds sharply. For Anduin on his 17th year, things decide to take a bit of a sharp turn involving sharp objects and unorthodox uses of blood.


Fairytale Romances

* * *

Years later, the pair would look at this moment and laugh and laugh.

It had started out easily enough with the boy prince out hunting. It wasn't usually his thing but he wanted to polish up just in case he was dragged on some merry adventure. He had grown up over they ears, from the slightly scrawny 13 year old to a strong seventeen year old.

Azeroth wasn't very peaceful, not with Deathwing still menacing their lands but slowly and surely, things were being worked on, fences being mended. His father let him out of the castle more often than before, ever since he and a friend uncovered the Twilight Hammer plot.

Cho'gall had been defeated, which was a first. But still they had persistent opponents waiting for them, just springing into the east. Med'an had contacted him and his father, with warnings that the Old Gods were stirring again, and while his father focused on the war between headstrong leaders, still he practiced.

Today, he was hunting boar in Elwynn, and sometimes he wished for the presence of Bolvar who had raised him as a son when his father was away. As he flipped the knife in his hands, he reared back and loosed it.

THOCK. The weapon struck between the eyes and the boar toppled over without even letting out a squeal of surprise. Pleased with himself, Anduin came out of hiding and laid a hand on the pig.

THUD. With a short bark of surprise, a wolf fell over, a familiar green knife stuck in its neck. "You should be more careful," chastised Valeera as she wrenched her knife free from the wolf's neck. "That boar was already being hunted."

"Ah, yeah," replied Anduin, feeling sheepish. Physically she hadn't changed, still young and as beautiful as ever. A sort of tutor in the art of throwing weapons, Valeera had haunted his thoughts ever since hitting the stage where girls were more than just friends. "I should have paid more attention."

Valeera grinned a little as she pulled the weapon free and began to skin the wolf, hunting for meat and bones. "Better start dressing the boar, or it'll attract every hungry opponent in the forest."

Anduin nodded and began work on cleaning up the boar, removing its tusks and severing the thick hide from its body. "Did you always do this growing up?" he asked curiously as he cut the meat into pieces and wrapped them in paper.

"Not really no," admitted Valeera as she finished carving up her kill and began to load the stringy meat into the thick butchers paper as well. "But when you grow up on the streets from city to city, you kind of survive to get along. I've hunted smaller game than this before though."

"Ah. I was just thinking you looked really good with your hands," admitted Anduin.

Valeera smirked at him. "You're not so bad yourself young prince." And she flicked a bit of blood into his cheek.

"H-hey!" exclaimed Anduin and he flicked back at her, scoring a splatter along her bare shoulder.

"Oh it is ON," exclaimed Valeera, reaching out with bloody hands and Anduin grinned back as they locked hands and wrestled.

* * *

The guards at the entrance of Stormwind were aghast at the pair walking in, laughing loudly. Large packs of meat were on their backs but both the young prince and his tutor were covered head to toe in blood. "My prince!" exclaimed General Marcus as they neared his position. "Whatever happened?"

"Blood fight," replied Anduin casually like they had been wrestling in the snow.

"I… can see that," remarked Marcus, eyeing a rather prince-sized hand mark on Valeera's breast and other places. Come to think of it, they were rather rumpled. He sighed, if only for the fact that their young prince was growing up. "Clearly you two cannot walk into Stormwind like that. GO. I'll have a local draw up a bath for you both. Davis, Epps, relieve them of their meat. It needs to go on ice."

"Yes sir," replied the pair.

"Oh come off it Marcus," grumbled Valeera as she was relieved of her stringy wolf meat. "I want to see the look on Varian's face when I walk in all bloody."

"Please? He'll flip. And I think father needs a good scare. It's close to the relationship festival anyhow," pleaded Anduin.

Epps stifled a snicker and Davis nudged him. Marcus groaned. "If your father asks, I let you in thinking you were wounded, understand?"

"Perfectly. Ta sir."

As the pair walked away with Davis and Epps following, Marus groaned as he looked over at one of his men. "Winston what's your take on this?"

"I've been a soldier for 10 years now, and no one has ever gotten that bloody on purpose," replied Winston in his deep bass voice. "Still, I think our young prince is growing up, considering where some of those handprints are."

"To say the least," grumbled the general. "Looks like Lady Valeera's copped a few feels too."

"Well, they do say once you wet blood, it's all downhill in love from there," replied Winston.

"I don't think that's how it really means anything," replied Marcus dryly.


End file.
